


Save Me A Dance

by harrythepotter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dancing, F/M, Female Harry Potter, Yule Ball
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-12-02 06:22:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11503584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harrythepotter/pseuds/harrythepotter
Summary: draco malfoy wants to take harriet "call me harry" potter to the yule ball as his date. she reluctantly agrees. what kind of experience will she have?





	Save Me A Dance

To say Harry felt extremely awkward would be more than an understatement. With her left arm currently in a sling, and two left feet, she was an absolute disaster. She could see the wince in Neville's eyes, and she sighed, forcing them both to a halt.

"I'm going to sit down for a few." she said, patting his shoulder. "I'm sure there's someone else that can take my place.

"Are you sure, Harry?" Neville asked, looking slightly confused. "I mean, I'm not that great of a dancer either."

"Neville, I've stepped on your feet eight times! I know, I've counted." Harry replied, putting her free hand on her hip. "Go grab someone who can be of help to you, alright? I'm a disaster, I know it."

Neville laughed, shaking his head before he strolled off across the classroom to ask one of the other girls to be his practice partner.

Harry flopped down in one of the chairs with a grunt, massaging her forehead with her right hand. She was starting to get a headache from the endless blaring of waltzes from the record player, and she was better off sitting off to the side where she couldn't do damage to anyone's limbs.

"All by yourself, Potter? What a shame."

Harry groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as she glared at the speaker.

"Shove off, Twatfoy." she snapped. "I don't need your commentary."

"Now, now, Potter, I'm here to make you a kind offer." Draco smirked, sitting down without an invitation. "I'm assuming you haven't got a date for the Yule Ball, correct? And, I know for a fact that the Champions need dates, since they're leading the Ball. So-"

Harry barked out a laugh. "If you're thinking that you're the one who's going to be taking me, think again. There's no way in hell that I'd go with  _you_ , Malfoy."

Draco put a hand on Harry's shoulder, which she quickly shrugged off. "You'll come around, Potter. But my invitation will continue to stand. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to learning. You should try it sometime."

Harry grumbled an angry set of curse words under her breath, to which Draco merely smirked wider, and strutted off toward Pansy, his partner.

Who did Draco even think he was? As if Harry'd ever accept his offer.

\---

"Who're you taking to the Ball, Hermione?"

It was a lazy night by the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, with Hermione up to her elbows in books, and Harry slowly working through her essay for Snape.

"Hm?" Hermione glanced over at her, with a secretive little smile. "Oh, I can't possibly tell you. It's a secret. But you'll find out at the Ball, just like everyone else."

"Is it Ron?" Harry said with a grin, leaning back against the sofa. "I mean, it seems a bit obvious-"

"No! No, Ron isn't taking me." Hermione said quickly, rolling her eyes. "He had his chance to ask, but I've found other arrangements."

"Oh, c'mon! I'm your best friend, you can tell me." Harry said, putting on her best pleading face. "I can understand why you don't want Ron to know, but-"

"Don't want me to know what?" Ron asked as he came through the portrait hole, sitting down on the carpeting next to Harry. "What're my two favorite girls keeping from me, huh?"

"My date to the Ball." Hermione said flatly, putting up a hand when Ron opened his mouth to protest. "No, I'm not spilling. Though, I'm quite curious who Harriet managed to snag."

Hermione was just about the only person Harry allowed to call her by her full name. To everyone else, she was Harriet "Call me Harry" Potter.

"I, well..." Harry flushed, rubbing the back of her neck. "D'you know who asked me today? Bloody Draco Malfoy, that's who."

Both of her friends looked flabbergasted, before Hermione leaned forward, her brown eyes wide.

"Wait...my god, Malfoy asked you? What did you say?"

"No, of course!"

"Good for you, Harry." Ron said, patting her on the shoulder. "Who in their right mind would want to go with Ferretface?"

"Pugface Parkinson, that's who. You see the way she hangs on his arm, right?" Harry responded, and the pair of them started to snigger.

"Well, I think you should go with him, Harriet." Hermione said calmly, and they both stopped to stare at her.

"You...you can't be serious, Hermione." Ron said in a slow voice, shaking his head. "You've gone mental, that's it."

"No! No, Hermione, why would I want to go with him?!" Harry demanded, standing up. "He's an absolute twat, first off. And second, we're enemies! Nobody goes to a ball with their worst enemy. It's absolutely mad!"

"Harry, you want to go to this ball with someone that'll be a good dancer, as that isn't your forte. And no offense, but that isn't Ron." Hermione stated, ignoring Ron's offended gasp. "Who better than Malfoy? Because, let's face it, most of the other boys in this school can't tell their left foot from their right."

"That's true." Harry said miserably, shaking her head. "But really, Hermione? Him? He'll make fun of me for years!"

"But its better than nothing, which is what you'll get if you keep lazing around and not thinking about getting a date." Hermione reminded her, and Harry groaned.

"Fine. Fine! I'll go send the git an owl." Harry snapped, then stormed up to the girl's dormitory.

Was she absolutely out of her mind for doing this? Probably. But it was better than nothing.

\---

"Oh, Harriet. You look absolutely stunning." Hermione said with a bright smile, moving Harry in front of the mirror.

Harry was normally one of the most boyish girls in their year, preferring trousers over skirts, and getting her hands dirty on the Quidditch Pitch without a single care in the world. But, she had to admit, this was...nice.

Harry wore a shimmering gown of emerald green, the exact shade of her eyes. It sparkled in every turn of the light, and pooled out around her feet. Her long, dark, unruly hair was swept up into a neat updo, with a few strands on either side of her face.

"Are you sure that you don't want to use contacts?" Lavender, one of her other roommates, asked.

"I've still got to look like me, don't I?" Harry grinned, adjusting her round spectacles.

The other girls laughed, and Hermione took Harry on her arm. She looked gorgeous as well, clad in a floaty periwinkle blue gown, with her hair all sleek and shiny.

"Come on, let's go knock Malfoy's socks off." she said, and off they went.

Ron was nowhere to be seen in the common room, though Harry supposed he was already down in the Great Hall with most everyone else.

Harry and Hermione agreed that Hermione would go down the steps first, and as Harry peeked around the corner, she could see everyone whispering about how pretty Hermione looked. Ron looked like he didn't recognize her at all, and when she took the arm of Viktor Krum, Harry smiled to herself. So, Hermione's mystery date was finally revealed.

Now, it was her turn.

Harry's hands were shaking, but she forced herself to relax, making her grand entrance down the steps. Almost all chatter seemed to stop at once, and she felt like there was a giant spotlight on her head. Harry managed a smile, her chin held high as she gracefully reached the bottom without stumbling in her heels.

"Blimey, Harry." Ron said, his mouth agape. "You look...beautiful."

"Now now, Ron, I'm not your date tonight." Harry said teasingly, bumping him in the shoulder.

"That's right, Weasel. She's mine."

They both turned to see Draco Malfoy, who wore dark dress robes that had obviously been tailored to him quite closely. His hair was still slicked back in its usual fashion, but he was holding himself differently tonight, somehow.

Harry nearly had a heart attack as Draco gave her a genuine smile, and almost fainted as he pressed a gentle kiss to her hand.

"You clean up well, Potter." he said, looking her up and down. "And I like the touch of Slytherin green. Did you do that for me?"

"No." Harry said quickly, her cheeks heating. "It matches my eyes."

"So it does." Draco said, offering her his arm. "Shall we, then?"

Harry gave a quick nod, moving to his side and looping her arm through his. She shot Ron an apologetic glance, before she and Draco went to line up with the three other Champion pairs.

First, was Cho Chang and Cedric Diggory. They looked nice together. (and, admittedly, Harry had small crushes on the pair of them.) Then there was Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies, the latter of whom was looking shocked to even be standing next to the French beauty. Finally, Hermione and Krum stood right in front of herself and Draco, and Krum looked like he was telling Hermione a joke, to which she laughed.

As the band swelled in the Great Hall, Harry suddenly found herself moving forward, keeping her eyes averted from the students on either side of them as they headed out onto the dance floor. Everyone was staring, she could feel it, and it felt like her insides were melting. 

"Relax, Potter. I'll make sure you'll do fine." Draco said in a low tone, as they took their position.

His hand was suddenly on her waist, and Harry was fully aware of it. It felt like it was right on her bare skin, and- no, she wouldn't be thinking about that. But everything felt so oddly surreal, and Draco Malfoy was staring at her like she was the light of his life.  _Merlin._

That was when the waltz started, and Harry was suddenly stumbling over her own two feet, trying to keep up with the song. But Draco was there, gently guiding her through the steps, and she exhaled deeply, letting herself relax. This wasn't that bad, was it? She was doing just fine.

"Well, well, would you look at that?" Draco smirked, meeting her gaze. "You're enjoying yourself, Potter. I never thought I'd see the day."

"You wish, Malfoy." Harry mumbled, but she smiled anyways, twirling under his arm. 

Soon enough, other couples joined the dance, and they were not alone. But Harry only could see Draco, and her heartbeat was pounding in her ears. The final steps were upon them, and Draco suddenly dipped her toward the ground, to which she let out a quiet gasp. There was applause as the dance ended, and Harry stood upright once more, her eyes wide.

"Refreshments?" Draco asked, nodding toward the drinks table. 

"Oh, yeah. Of course." Harry nodded, gripping onto his hand without thinking about it.

\---

A few hours later found them sitting out in the courtyard, each with a glass of butterbeer in hand. The air was cool and crisp, and Harry wouldn't rather be anywhere else.

"The stars are pretty." she said, looking up at the twinkling heavens above. "I like nighttime. It's my favorite part of the day, I think."

"That reminds me of a quote I once heard." Draco said. "I am a daydreamer and a night-thinker. I think that'd fit you. I always see you daydreaming in class."

"That's true." Harry agreed, putting her empty glass to the side. "I, er...I haven't thanked you for accompanying me tonight, Malfoy. It's been great so far. I never...I never thought I'd have so much fun at a formal dance, of all things."

"The pleasure's all mine, Harriet." Draco replied, snaking an arm around her shoulders. 

"Did you just call me by my first name?"

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."

And maybe she'd had too much butterbeer, but Harry was suddenly lip-locked with the boy she'd hated for so long, and he was kissing her back just as passionately. 

"Oh!" Harry suddenly pulled back, standing up quickly, her cheeks the color of ripe cherries. "Merlin, Malfoy, I-"

"It's my fault." Draco said, looking slightly hurt. "I shouldn't have-"

"I promised Ron a dance." Harry said awkwardly, her hands fisting in the fabric of her dress. "I'm sorry, I...I should go."

Harry walked across the courtyard, her face still heavily flushed as she headed back toward the sound of the music. But a cough from behind her made her turn.

"You'll save me a dance?" Draco asked.

She allowed herself a smile, inclining her head in a nod.

"I'll save you a dance."


End file.
